Thread cutter for weft-replenishing looms



June 4, 1929. -w. H. KING THREAD CUTTER FOR WEFT REPLENISH'ING LOOMS Filed April 11, 1927 MW -M///'0/72 l7. l1 Z77 Patented June 4, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. KING, OF CLINTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS.

THREAD CUTTER FOR WEFT-REPLENISHING LOOMS.

Application filed April 11,

- thread cutters for weft replenishing looms and it is the principal object of the invention to provide an improved support for the thread cutter whereby the latter ,Wlll be moved in such a path with respect to the selvage of the cloth as not to pull the thread extending,

from the selvage to the cutter clamp out of the latter as the cutter is restored to normal position.

In weft replenishing looms wherein a fresh bobbin is inserted in a depleted shuttle 1t is desirable to cut the, thread extending from the selvage to the exhausted bobbin either prior to or at the time of transfer so that said end may be withdrawn from the box and not whipped back in the shed on the next pick of the shuttle. When a cutter 1s mounted' on the shuttle feeler it is found that as it rises or otherwise moves from cutting position the filling extending between the selvage and the clamp is likely to be pulled out of the latter unless provision be made to move the cutter in a path such that it will not increase its distance from the selvage as it moves to normal or inoperative position. It is an im portant object of m present invention to combine the shuttle eeler and thread cutter of the usual form found in the ordinary multicolor weft replenishing looms and mount the same for free longitudinal movement toward and from the selvage of the cloth, provision being madefor positively moving the cutter and shuttle feeler toward the selvageas said feeler is raised to normal position.

Modern multi-color automatic mechanisms employ a bobbin support as shown in patent to Ryon No. 1,307,024, wherein the rear support of the butt of the bobbin, is normally held in bobbin releasing position by coaction "between the holder for the bobbinsupport and a stud extending from, the shuttle feeler mechanism. When the shuttle feeler has a movement toward and from the selvage it is necessary to provide for controlling the bobbin support in all lateral movements of the feeler. Accordingly, it is a further object of my invention to provide the shuttle feeler and cutter support with means which shall alyvays be in operative position with respect to 1927. Serial No. 182,986.

the yielding support for the butt of the bobbin.

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, my invention resides in the combination and'arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings wherein I have shown one embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a partial side elevation of parts of a multi-color weft replenishing mechanism viewed from the center of the loom and showing my invention applied thereto in normal position in full lines and in operative position in dotted lines,

Fig. 2 is a front elevation looking in the direction of arrow 2 Fig. 1, parts being broken away and showing the cutter in raised position in full lines,

Fig. 3 is a detailed enlargedtop' plan view taken in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 2, of the hub for the shuttle feeler and thread I cutter together with the supportingstructure 6, 1926, by Chevrette, said cutter of the kind set forth in theearlier of the Ryon patents mentioned. 1

Accordingly, I provide aweft replenishing mechanism indicated at 10 and a lay L to supportlshuttle S. The weft replenishing mechanism has a horizontal shaft 11 rotatably mounted in bearings 12 as shown in Fig. 1., Said shaft has secured thereto an arm 13 provided with a laterally extending rectangular block 14 which moves in a slot 15 formed in another arm 16. The second arm is freely pivoted on a stud 17 mounted on a frame 10 and there-is interposed between the block 14 and said second arm 16 a compression spring 18. By means of the toggle connection thus provided the shaft 11 is held firmly in two different angular positions. Rocking movement is imparted to the shaft by a mechanism not shown herein but clearly set forth in patent to Ryon No. 1,030,748. It is to be understood that the shaft receives a partial right hand rotation as viewed in Fig. 2 when transfer is about to take place.

The left end of the shaft 11 as shown in Fig. 1 has secured thereto a finger 20 which is pivoted to the upper end of rod 21. The lower end of said rod is connected at 22 to a carrier 23 shown in detail in Figs. 3 and 4, said carrier having a hub 24, and spaced inner and outer arms 25 and 26, respectively. Said hub is mounted for angular and longitudinal movement about a normally fixed stud 27. The stud is secured in adjusted longitudinal and angular position in the lower part of the weft. replenishing mechanism frame by a set screw 27*.

The arm 26 is recessed at 28 to receive a shuttle feeler 29 which extends forwardly and downwardly, being curved on the underside so as to be easily raised by a misplaced shuttle as the latter moves forwardly with the lay. Just prior to transfer shaft 11 will be given a slight right hand movement as viewed in Fig. 2 and the rod 21 will be depressed to move the shuttle feeler from the full to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 1, this movement being limited by the block 14 and the upper end of slot15. The shuttle feeler thus far described may be similar in operation to that set forth in the aforesaid patent to Ryon No. 1,022,108.

The support for the rear of the bobbin butt B comprises a floating arm 30 having a forwardly and downwardly extending guide portion 31 to be engaged with the bobbin when the latter is held in transfer position. Said member 30 is pivoted as at 32 to a depending link 33 pivoted in turn on a tie rod 34 forming part of the frame 10. A tension spring 35 is interposed between the. link 33 and member 30 and normally holds the lower end 31 of the member 30 downwardly, this motion being limited by a lug 36 on the member 30 extending behind link 33. A torsion spring 37 on the tie rod 34 has the right end as viewed in Fig. 2 held by a collar, not shown, secured to the rod 34 and has the left hand end connected to the link 33, said spring 37 acting to hold the bobbin support 30 toward. the lay as viewed in Fig. 1, but said torsion spring permits a slight yielding movement Ofsaid bobbin support. The latter cooperates with a front support 40 to hold the bobbin in transfer position.

Said link 33 has a rearwardly and downwardly extending tail 41in front of which lies a stud 42 secured in arm 25 of the shut tle feeler holder 23. Said tail 41 has a cam face to cooperate with the rear of the stud 42 and the parts are so related that when the shuttle feeler is in the raised position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 said stud 42 will press against the tail 41 and move the bobbin support 30 rearwardly against the action of forsion spring 37 to release an untransferred bobbin, but when the shuttle feeler moves to the dotted line position shown in Fig. l'the bobbin support will move forwardly to bobbin supporting position due to the factthat the stud 42 has been lowered and the cam face of the tail. 41 is such as to permit said support 30 to move forwardly slightly after the stud 42 is lowered. All present day multicolor weft replenishing mechanisms are pro vided with this general type of bobbin support for'the rear of the butt of the bobbin and for further description of the same ref-- erence may be made to the aforesaid patent of Ryon No. 1,307,024.

The cutter which I choose to use is similar to that set forth in the aforesaid application 127,695 filed by Chevrette and said cutter comprises a movable cutter jaw 50 pivoted to the shuttle feeler 29 as at 51. Said cutter jaw cooperates with a cutting edge 52 formed on the lower part of the shuttlefeeler nearer the selvage C. A thread clamp 53 is secured as at 54 to the shuttle feeler and lies between the selvage C and the cutter jaw 50.

In order to actuate said cutter I provide an operating rod 55 pivoted at the upper end thereof to a fixed stud 56 and having pivoted connections at the lower end thereof with an upward extension of the cutter jaw as at 57. The parts are so related that when the cutter is in the raised position shown in full lines in Fig. 1 the rod 55 will operate to move the cutter jaw 50 to closed position and whenthe rod 21 lowers the shuttle feeler to the dotted line position shown in'said figure the jaw 50 will move to the opened position shown in dotted lines. After transfer the box back 60 will engage the curved underside of the shuttle feeler and lift the same to the full line position shown in Fig. 1, the toggle joint and spring 18 assisting in moving the shuttle feeler to its final position clear of all 1noving parts of the lay. The matter thus far described may be as set forth in said patents and application.

My invention, as previously stated, relates to the movement of the cutter wherebythe same will be moved in such a path that it will not increase the distance between the selvage and the cutter as the latter moves to inoperative position, and my invention further relates to providing means for insuring operative contact between the bobbin support and the part moving with the shuttle feeler which controls said bobbin support for all longitudinal positions of the shuttle feeler. Accordingly, I provide a pin which is driven into or otherwise secured to stud 27 and is in position to receive an inclined slot 71 formed in the hub 24 of the shuttle feeler carrier 23. Said slot is open at the end adjacent the frame 10 and serves to move the shuttle feeler away from the selvage as the feeler is lowered by rod 21. The purpose of this movement is to require a movement of the shuttle feeler and cutter toward the selvage as the shuttle feeler is raised and restored to normal position. In this way the filling F which extends from the selvage C to the clamp 53 will not be subjected to tension such as would pull the same out of the cutter clamp were the shuttle feeler to rise in a vertical line. I further provide for mak ing the stud 42 of sufficient length so that as the shuttle feeler moves along the stud 27 and therefore away from the bobbin support 31. said stud will still be in operative relation with the depending cam faced tail al of the link 33. In this way I insure operative positioning of the stud 42 with respect to the bobbin support for all longitudinal movements of the shuttle feeler along the stud 27.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I I have provided a very simple means for moving the thread cutter and clamp toward the selvage after the cutting operation. Also, the shuttle feeler may be quickly disconnected from the replenishing mechanism in view of the fact that the slot 71 is open at one end thereof. It will further be seen that the stud 42 which controls the position of the bobbin support 30 is operatively positioned with respect to the latter for all longitudinal movements of the hub 24 along the stud 27. While I have shown the form of cutter set forth in the Chevrette application yet I do not wish to be limited to this construction as the movements of the shuttle feeler and cutter and also the control between stud 42 and bobbin support is independent of the particular form of cutter mounted on the shuttle feeler.

Having thus described my invention it will be apparent that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a thread cutter for a loom, a shuttle feeler to be moved into the path of the shuttle, a thread cutting and. clamping elementmounted on the shuttle feeler, means to move said shuttle feeler to shuttle feeling position, means to operate the cutter and clamp element as the shuttle feeler moves from shuttle feeling position, a support for the feeler extending toward the selvage of the cloth in the loom and mounted for angular and longitudinal adjustment, and a pin and slot connection between the shuttle feeler and sup port to move the shuttle feeler toward the selvage as the feeler is moved out of shuttle feeling position, part of said pin and slot connection being movable with the support when said support is moved for angular and longitudinal adjustment.

2. In a thread cutter for looms, a shuttle feeler, means to move the feeler toward and from the shuttle feeling position, a combined thread cutter and clamping unit mounted on the shuttle feeler, means to operate the cutter and clamp to cause the same to open and close as the shuttle feeler moves toward and from shuttle feeling position respectively, a stud extending toward the selvage of the cloth and mounted for angular and longitudinal adjustment, a hub forming part of the shuttle feeler and loosely mounted on the stud, said hub having an inclined slot and a pin secured to the stud and located in the slot to move the thread cutter and clamping elements toward the selvage as the shuttle feeler is raised from shuttle feeling tonormal inoperative position.

3. In a thread cutter for looms, a shuttle feeler comprising a hub having an inclined slot and a pair of spaced arms, a fixed stud extending toward the selvage of the cloth. and affording a loose mounting for the hub of the shuttle feeler, said stud being mounted to as sume a plurality of positions angularly and longitudinally relatively to the hub, a combined thread cutter and clamping unit mounted on one arm of the shuttle feeler, means operatively connected to the other arm of the shuttle feeler to move the latter toward and from shuttle feeling position, means to open and close the thread cutting and clamping element as the shuttle feeler is moving toward and from shuttle feeling position respectively, a pin secured to the stud and extending in the inclined. slot formed in the hub of the shuttle feeler, said slot being so inclined as to cause the shuttle feeler to move toward the selvage when said shuttle feeler is raised from shuttle feeling position to normal position.

4. In a thread cutter for a loom operating with a shuttle, a shuttle feeler to be moved into the path of the shuttle, a thread cutting element mounted on the shuttle feeler, means to move said shuttle feeler to shuttle feeling position, means to operate the cutter and clamp element as the shuttle, feeler moves, a hub forming part of the shuttle feeler and movable along and about a fixed axis, said hub having formed therein a slot oblique with respect to the axis of the hub, and an operating pin normally stationary located in the slot but capable of movement in a direction parallel to and also. about the axis as a center to assume a plurality of positions relatively to the hub.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

WILLIAM H. KING. 

